Argle wrote:Best bet is to stick it on a weighbridge to get an exact figure

Probably the most accurate, but a rough idea can be had by jumping on a set of bathroom scales without and then with each item. Helps to have an off-sider and a scribe to write it all down and add it up. Add 10 percent for contingencies and you should come close.

We've done it and just as well the passers-by cannot see through brick walls

It's well within the legal limits - I'm buying a new car and want to figure out the approximate all up tow weight of the trailer as a guide to make sure whatever I buy has the correct capacity for towing it. Trailer and tent top is 380kg.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt - then it's bloody hilarious!

Estimating weight is one of those funny skills that you either have or your don't, just like estimating distances (just for the record I'm notably rubbish at both )

During the build of out CT, I 'thought' I was pretty mindfull of the accumulative weights as I made this, made that, bolted this here, welded that there....etc

I ended up with a fully loaded estimated weight inc CT of ~780kg.Took it over a public weighbridge and received a bit of paper from the young girl behind the counter which said 1293kg Whats half a ton between friends

Same day, took off the 1200kg outback rebound springs and refitted with 1500kg variants.

Pays to be vigilant with your weights and have them checked (is free at most public weighstations as long as you don't ask for a certificate), can be an expensive exercise otherwise.

Weighing big items like a trailer and so on is beyond what I do but I've weighed everything we carry in the car and trailer. Either by using a digital kitchen scale for smaller items and using a digital personal scale for larger items. Hop on the scale first then hop back on carrying the item and find out the difference. It was surprising how little some items weighed and we found that it was more bulk in the trailer and car than weight - not even close to the carrying capacity of either.

One very important matter if looking at a new vehicle is your towball weight. This is the down weight on your jockey wheel of your fully loaded trailer.

Some cars have a very low weight factor. For example my Suzuki Grand Vitara has a towball weight of 85 kgs but the Toyota Rav4 is rated at 160 kgs. With my camper trailer I just scrape it in by putting most of the weight to the rear of the camper. I know if I can lift it easily then I am ok.

You will also find that with most vehicles the unbraked trailer weight will be 750 kg so if you go over that you will need brakes on the trailer.